What happens in an adult autism assessment?

I found the assessment to be not as sceary as I thought, and as I talk a lot when I open up or an nurvous, they didn't need t do such a long assssment as they do with people that can be harder to get information from them.  I had in the four and a half years of being on the waiting list been thinking a lot about past experiences, so it was easier for me to recall events. I alsp have a very visual mind so I can recall past events in relevent detail in film-like form which helps me describe my childhood years, as I have memories of when I was a few months old onwards, though my mind only captures brief glimpses if they seem significently relevent for some reason... But the length of the assessment itself varies from.person to person and rarely is an assessment done in a day! Is usually several appointments (These days half is done online as a video call thingie which they helped me get working on the actual meeting part of the appointment where one takes someone that knows you when you were young (I took my Mum), so the actual meeting in person was just a few hours asking questions. Nothing sceary and nothing one needs to revise for).

That is how I feel right now. I wish I could have a chromosome test or a brain scan to tell me. I fear I will never know if my autistic traits are due to biology, or my social isolation as a result of medical problems in childhood. This is what the assessment will aim to find out, I hope I am given enough time to talk through it properly.

You got the result straight away? Lucky you!

I had to wait a few weeks, which was incredibly difficult. During that period I had to hold two different versions of myself in my head, two different pasts and two different futures, not knowing which was real.

I was a few minutes late for my interview because of a subway problem, so I was extremely flustered - I get very anxious about not being on time for things. This was probably helpful to be honest because I unmasked.

This was the same for me. I found the two hour interview the most difficult part, mostly because my mind went blank and I sort of froze as I tend to do in any sort of interview. 

They were luckily very understanding and supportive though, gave me plenty of time to think and talk. I was also allowed to write some things down when I couldn't put it in to words.

I was assessed in person by the NHS in October. I spent 3.5 hours answering questions about my routines, sensory differences and social difficulties, both now and when I was a child. We took a fiver minute break halfway through. At the end I was told I'm autistic. Three months later I received a report and an invitation for a follow up appointment.

 This may sound sooo dumb but how are people getting therapists. I seriously need one. The only ones I’ve had are CBT during my depressive episodes  but by the time I started said episodes would be almost being over

I have been wondering the same, my therapist suggested I go. It just seems like an awful lot of time and I have a baby

Everyone on here seems to have a different experience. For some it was a single Zoom call, for others much more.

I had:

• a two hour interview taking my life history and my experiences that made me think I might be autistic
• a two hour IQ test
• the ADOS test (an hour or so)
• two interviews with people who know me (with me not present)
• about a dozen forms